Beyond the Lavender Fields by Arlem Hawks

Published by Shadow Mountain Publishers February 01, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama

Pages: 362

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Publisher’s Description

As the fires of revolution spread, can a Jacobin and a royalist put aside their differences to protect all they love?

1792, France

Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles Étienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory.

A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles’s efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought.

As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family’s safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a révolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together in a world that forces people to choose sides.

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Story Notes

A love story set at the beginning of the 1792 French Revolution that will leave you pondering it long after you finish the last page.

Some books have the power to get down deep inside you and stay there a long time. This latest story by Arlem is certainly one of those. Set in Marseille at the the beginning of the French Revolution, two young people are brought together by a casual wager between friends. Gilles Etienne is the clerk for a well- known soap factory owner in Marseille. He, his brother Max and his friend Emile often place wagers on whether or not they can steal a kiss from a charming miss they happen to meet. With the dare to kiss the young woman in his employer’s office, Gilles thinks to make quick money, but he soon finds himself outwitted by Caroline who is aware of the “game” they play and calls him out on his roguishness. So begins a story towards love that is fraught with contention and sarcastic flirting. Gilles is a devoted Jacobin, convinced that a change in government must come if the French are to be truly free. Caroline is a staunch Royalist with no love for the oft violent Jacobins who have no love for those who believe different from them. With their tightly held beliefs enclosing each of them, there is little hope of a future together, no matter the giant sparks of attraction flying between them whenever they speak. Will they let this revolution drive them apart forever or can they find a middle ground to meet on? That answer is found when you come read this amazing story, #sorrynotsorry.

There was so much about this story to truly enjoy, from the clearly long-researched history, to the descriptions of the soap making and the city of Marseilles, to the highly realistic characters and their strong opinions. Even the “bad guys” were well developed with just enough vengefulness to them to make you despise them entirely. I got a dreadfully real sense of terror towards the end of the book when everything was falling apart in Marseilles. And the sweet moments between Gilles and Caroline were at precisely the right moments to relieve the incredible tension building with each successive chapter. My favorite lines were, “I do not wish to kiss you” and “Jaimas en vain (Never in vain)”. They played such a great role in the telling of the story, despite the shortness of them. And they are just the kind of lines you want to put on a sign on the wall in your reading spot or a t-shirt to wear. Please do yourself a fantastic favor and go get a copy of this moving and inspiring book. There is much to learn from it and I promise you won’t be sorry you read it.

I received a complimentary ARC of this story from Shadow Mountain Publishing. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review but am most pleased to do so. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.